kalbir

I don't remember Johnny departure, was it sometime in Spring 1990 after the Chelsea stalker storyline wrapped up? The timeline for the characters you listed were July 1990 Reva car accident and Alan-Michael recast; January 1991 Josh, Rick, Chelsea departures; February 1991 Phillip and Beth departures. Also January 1991 was the HW change from Pamela Long to Nancy Curlee. The Calhoun/Curlee era was January-July 1991 and while I enjoyed that era, the ratings didn't reflect the quality of the show.

1996 ABC was sold to Disney. ABC primetime mess era started 1995/96 when Roseanne fell out of the Top 10 and ended 1999/2000 with the breakout success of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Monday Night Football and Home Improvement were really the only hits ABC had in that era.

NBC got away with scheduling garbage shows at Thursday 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm during the Seinfeld/ER/Friends era that would finish in the Top 10 because both CBS and ABC were in their primetime mess eras.

@vetsoapfan I think it was the combination of MG/MZ return and Robert Calhoun as EP that was the shot in the arm GL needed after some really bad years. From what I've seen either online or in real time, I'd say the two golden eras were Potter/Dobsons/Marland and Calhoun/Long/Curlee.

We could say that about the P&G shows in general, chasing trends but getting them wrong.

Not to derail this thread but this reminds me of when Fox tried to sabotage Central Park West with a second hour of Beverly Hills 90210 head-to-head w/ Central Park West premiere and a new Melrose Place head-to-head w/ Central Park West episode 2. 1996/97 CBS moved Diagnosis Murder from Friday 9 pm to Thursday 8 pm. That looks like a tank job yet CBS still kept Diagnosis Murder. Remember too that CBS was in another primetime mess era from Fall 1994 until Spring 2000 so they kept a good number of shows that showed little to no growth because not much was working as far as new shows go. CBS was really in no position to have any tank jobs so alot of their scheduling moves were probably fill space on the schedule.

Thank you @soapfan770 I had no memory of TNT rebroadcasts. Whenever any full episodes or clips turn up on YT/DM they are usually from Soapnet 2000-2003 recordings.

So the rebroadcasts were 1986-1987 broadcast syndication, 1987-? Lifetime, 2000-2003 Soapnet, 2022-2024 Freevee. Am I missing any?

Y&R reads like its going to be garbage time.

Garbage time. March Madness break is March 21 and 22.

@beebs Thank you for the new season end ratings I took your 1991/92 season end ratings and updated the net differential from 1987/88 to 1991/92 and the new rankings are Y&R +0.4 B&B +0.2 All My Children -0.5 Guiding Light -0.5 As the World Turns -0.8 Another World -1.1 Loving -1.3 Santa Barbara -1.6 Days -1.8 General Hospital -2.1 One Life to Live -2.1 For 1992/93 the rankings are B&B +0.6 Y&R +0.4 All My Children -0.1 Guiding Light -0.7 As the World Turns -0.8 Loving -1.2 One Life to Live -1.8 Another World -1.8 General Hospital -1.9 Santa Barbara -2.0 Days -2.1

More 1980s dramas to add to your list: Knight Rider, Wiseguy, Thirtysomething, China Beach, Life Goes On To the CBS comedy list add Major Dad, Dave's World, Cybill, Cosby.

So Y&R will reach its 55th anniversary in March 2028.

Bradley is not capable of such things.

Looking back on the 1980s as an adult. 1984 the peak. 1986 s--- got real w/ the AIDS crisis, Space Shuttle Challenger, Chernobyl. 1989 the world was on the verge of change w/ Reagan leaving office, Tiananmen Square, Berlin Wall.

I really enjoyed 1989-1991 Calhoun/Long/Curlee era. SOD named GL most improved show in 1989. It disappoints me that the ratings didn't reflect how good the show was back then.

Knowing Bradley, he has a back from the dead storyline ready if needed. Sheila has been Bradley's "break glass in case of emergency" character for almost 30 years now.

You're welcome @Liberty City

@Liberty City Melrose Place thread

Aaron Spelling wisely cut ties between 90210 and Melrose early on, after Melrose episode 3 I think. He learned his lesson after the disaster that was The Colbys.

In that same era there was also Dondre T. Whitfield and Keith Hamilton Cobb on All My Children, and Thyme Lewis on Days, but I don't know if they were considered younger leads on their shows.

The P&G shows were effectively over in the aftermath of OJ plus CBS on the whole was a mess in that same era. AFAIK As the World Turns didn't enter cancel territory until like 2009. I don't think it was limping along in its final 16 years.

June 17, 1994 was the car chase, and we know the rest. Given the ratings data we have now, I say the real issues began in the late 1980s with Iran-Contra, Nielsen people meters, and 1988 writer's strike and it all culminated in the aftermath of OJ.

Possible tank job 2001/02: After four Top 10 seasons and one Top 30 season at Sunday 8 pm, CBS moves Touched by an Angel back to Saturday, where it was not a hit in its first two seasons. Touched by an Angel falls out of the Top 30 but returns 2002/03 on Saturday for what would be its final season. Possible sabotage 1997/98: CBS moves Murphy Brown from Monday to Wednesday and the ratings drop further (Murphy Brown went from 18th in 1995/96 to below the Top 30 in 1996/97). Later in the season CBS moves Murphy Brown back to Monday but the damage was already done and Murphy Brown is cancelled after 10 seasons.

OJ is 6 months away